Infrequent Stools / Constipation

What Causes Constipation?

In order to deal properly with constipation we need to understand and — if possible — remove the underlying causes and risk factors.
We need to ask: "What else is going on inside the body that might allow constipation to develop?"

→ Not applicable / don't know
→ No, I usually pass at least one stool per day
→ Yes, I often have a day with no bowel movement
→ Yes, I often go 2-3 days with no bowel movement
→ Yes, I often go 3+ days with no bowel movement

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate normal stool frequency, tendency to infrequent stools, constipation or severe constipation, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Mural fibroids (located in the uterine wall) and subserous fibroids (protrude outside the uterine wall) may reach a large size before causing symptoms. These symptoms may include pressure on the bladder with difficulty voiding or urinary frequency and urgency, pressure on the rectum with constipation, lower back and abdominal pain, as well as heavy or irregular bleeding during periods.

In a study of 34 women with chronic constipation, investigators led by Dr. Anton Emmanuel and colleagues at St. Mark's Hospital in Middlesex linked emotional distress with changes in the nerve pathway that helps control gut function. They say the findings suggest a specific path through which psychological factors directly influence the digestive system.

The researchers compared the patients, who had suffered bouts of constipation for an average of 21 years, with a group of women with no history of gastrointestinal illness. All took standard tests that measure psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression, self-image, social functioning and ability to form intimate relationships.

Women with chronic constipation were more likely than healthy women to report anxiety, depression and feeling less "feminine". They also found it harder to form close relationships. [Gut Aug 2001;49: pp.209-213]